Football players who went into politics

January 17, 2014 12:03 PM

Photo: ED REINKE/Associated Press

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Gerald Ford: The 38th President of the United States was a star center with the University of Michigan Wolverines' 1932 and 1933 championship teams. He would later play in the annual College All-Star Game.

The future President's background produced a famous Lyndon Johnson insult: "Gerry Ford's problem is that he played football too long without a helmet." A 1979 Tri-Cities visit saw a reporter ask Ford about Notre Dame's come-from-behind win over Michigan the previous day. "I liked the first half," Ford replied.

Gerald Ford: The 38th President of the United States was a star center with the University of Michigan Wolverines' 1932 and 1933 championship teams. He would later play in the annual College All-Star Game.

Gerald Ford: The 38th President of the United States was a star... Photo-5738342.77941 - seattlepi.com

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Norm Dicks: "Dizzy Dicks" was a guard with the University of Washington Huskies. He played in the Rose Bowl, and intercepted a pass against the Cougars in his last UW game. The interception led to the Dawgs's winning touchdown: Dizzy was carried off the field.

During his 36 years in Congress, Dicks was renowned as an enthusiastic tennis player and rough basketball competitor in the House gym. He was known to yell "Huskies!" after scoring. The Dicks home on Hood Canal is a kind of shrine to UW football.

Norm Dicks: "Dizzy Dicks" was a guard with the University of Washington Huskies. He played in the Rose Bowl, and intercepted a pass against the Cougars in his last UW game. The interception led to the Dawgs's

Richard Nixon: The 37th President was considered too scrawny for football, but was a punishing player who at least won a place on the Whittier College bench.

Nixon was a fan. On a nocturnal 1970 visit to young anti-war protesters camped at the Lincoln Memorial, he encountered a Syracuse University student and waxed eloquent about the Orangemen. Nixon designed a play that Coach George Allen tried out with the Washington Redskins. It lost eight yards.

Richard Nixon: The 37th President was considered too scrawny for... Photo-5738344.77941 - seattlepi.com

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Alan Page: Page was an All American defensive tackle at Notre Dame, and went on to anchor the "Purple People Eaters" defense with the Minntesota Vikings. (He detested the term.) He was the rare defensive player to be selected the NFL's Most Valuable Player.

Page was interested in politics from time as an undergraduate, when he memorably confronted Alabama's segregationist Gov. George Wallace on the Notre Dame campus. He graduated from the University of Minnesota Law School. And for the last decade, he has been Mr. Justice Page of the Minnesota State Supreme Court.

Alan Page: Page was an All American defensive tackle at Notre Dame, and went on to anchor the "Purple People Eaters" defense with the Minntesota Vikings. (He detested the term.) He was the rare defensive player

Alan Page: Page was an All American defensive tackle at Notre... Photo-5738345.77941 - seattlepi.com

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Steve Largent: Largent spent 13 years as a receiver with the Seattle Seahawks, providing the sure hands that caught Jim Zorn's passes. The Zorn-Largent combination gave the early Seahawks winning seasons.

Back home in Tulsa, Largent was elected to Congress in 1994. He was a conservative, "pro-family" Republican. Largent ran for Governor of Oklahoma in 2002. He lost by 7,000 votes. A turning point came when Largent used "bull****" replying to a TV reporter asking where he was on 9/11. Largent's office had issued a statement in his name, even though he was hunting in Idaho.

Steve Largent: Largent spent 13 years as a receiver with the Seattle Seahawks, providing the sure hands that caught Jim Zorn's passes. The Zorn-Largent combination gave the early Seahawks winning seasons.

Edward M. Kennedy: Ted Kennedy had a college career at Harvard interrupted by a suspension. He returned, worked his way up to start at end his senior year. In Harvard's 21-7 loss to Yale in 1955, he caught a pass to score the Crimson's only touchdown.

Kennedy remained physically active through nearly half-a-century in the Senate. He played touch football in the family tradition, and was still sailing within weeks of his 2009 death from a brain tumor.

Edward M. Kennedy: Ted Kennedy had a college career at Harvard interrupted by a suspension. He returned, worked his way up to start at end his senior year. In Harvard's 21-7 loss to Yale in 1955, he caught a

Edward M. Kennedy: Ted Kennedy had a college career at Harvard... Photo-5738347.77941 - seattlepi.com

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Jack Kemp: Kemp was, for 10 years, a star quarterback in the old American Football League, playing with the San Diego Chargers and Buffalo Bills. He was the AFL's most valuable player. He even had an injured finger repaired in a bent, ball-hugging position.

Kemp went to Congress in 1971, soon after retiring, and became an articulate advocate of conservative ideas. He ran for President in 1988, and went on to serve as HUD Secretary in the first Bush administration. He was Republican vice presidential nominee in 1996.

Jack Kemp: Kemp was, for 10 years, a star quarterback in the old American Football League, playing with the San Diego Chargers and Buffalo Bills. He was the AFL's most valuable player. He even had an injured

Jack Kemp: Kemp was, for 10 years, a star quarterback in the old... Photo-5738348.77941 - seattlepi.com

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Heath Shuler: Shuler was a star quarterback at Tennessee, and the Washington Redskins' first-round draft choice in 1994. He was a flop, was traded to the New Orleans Saints, and retired from the NFL to the Appalachians.

He emerged as a Democratic candidate for Congress in North Carolina, taking flack from still-angry Redskins fans. Shuler was elected in 2006 and served three terms. He was a conservative "blue dog" Democrat, a now vanishing species in the capital.

Heath Shuler: Shuler was a star quarterback at Tennessee, and the Washington Redskins' first-round draft choice in 1994. He was a flop, was traded to the New Orleans Saints, and retired from the NFL to the

Lynn Swann: Swann was an All American receiver on USC's championship football teams of the early 1970's, and would later wear a Super Bowl ring as a graceful pass catcher with the Steelers. He suffered a severe concussion taking a hit from George Atkinson of the Oakland Raiders.

Swann is a conservative, "social values" Republican. He was nominated by Republicans for Governor of Pennsylvania in 2006, and would have been the Keystone State's first African-American chief executive. But Swann lost to incumbent Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell.

Lynn Swann: Swann was an All American receiver on USC's championship football teams of the early 1970's, and would later wear a Super Bowl ring as a graceful pass catcher with the Steelers. He suffered a severe

Lynn Swann: Swann was an All American receiver on USC's... Photo-5738350.77941 - seattlepi.com

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Jay Inslee: The Governor of Washington won his athletic spurs early, at Seattle's Ingraham High School. The son of Garfield High School football coach Frank Inslee, the future Governor was a QB at Ingraham, and a star basketball player.

At a Ram Pride Championship Breakfast last October, Ingraham retired Inslee's No. 35 jersey. Inslee has continued to play pick-up basketball over the years. He was part of a bipartisan House team that took on President Obama, Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Obama aide Reggie Love -- a former Duke basketball star.

Jay Inslee: The Governor of Washington won his athletic spurs early, at Seattle's Ingraham High School. The son of Garfield High School football coach Frank Inslee, the future Governor was a QB at Ingraham, and